Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 23/00) - The federal election call was the worst kept secret in the country, but in Northwest Territories, only the opposition parties heard Prime Minister Jean Chretien's stage whisper.

New Democrats have picked a candidate. The Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservatives are lining up prospects. Only the Liberals came out of the weekend apparently unprepared.

Sitting Liberal MP Ethel Blondin-Andrews is expected to be acclaimed as the Liberal's choice for the Western Arctic riding, but the party's nomination meeting is still set for Dec. 2 despite the clear signal from Prime Minister Jean Chretien that he intended to call an election.

The NDP on the other hand was quick on the gun, holding their nomination meeting last Thursday. Former Fort Smith mayor Dennis Bevington was unopposed in his bid to represent the New Democrats.

Veteran NDP campaign co-ordinator Mary Beth Levan said she wasn't surprised by the Liberals' coyness.

"It's typical Liberal politics," said Levan, "playing games with the public, afraid of the democratic process."

Levan said her party is ready for the race.

"We have teams in place everywhere, we are ready to go," she said.

The Progressive Conservative Party was in disarray. Riding president and newly elected city councillor Dave Ramsay questioned whether he will even buy a membership.

"We have a lot of decisions to make this week," said Ramsay.

Like the Conservatives, the Canadian Alliance has promised to contest all federal ridings in the country.

Local party members met last week to gauge interest and sound out potential candidates, but have not set a date for a nomination meeting.

David Connelly, returning officer for Western Arctic, has started recruiting and training more than 400 workers needed to run the election.

Over the next 48 hours, Connelly said he will secure space for almost 100 polling stations in the vast riding.

Connelly will dispatch special teams equipped with satellite telephones and computers to collect votes from remote mining camps.